Review: 'Transformers: Fall of Cybertron' gets it right

For "Transformers" fans who grew up on the cartoon, Michael Bay ruined their childhood.

The blockbuster trilogy he concocted deviated so much from the source material that it may as well have been just a movie about random giant robots. But just because Bay destroyed the franchise on celluloid, that doesn't mean it's ruined everywhere else.

Over at High Moon Studios, the team there has been on a solid run, making good "Transformers" games. Starting with "Transformers: War for Cybertron," the developer has created an experience that comes closest to capturing the memories of playing with the toys and mimicking what you saw on weekday afternoons.

The key is that High Moon Studios lets players effortlessly transform from robot to vehicle. Players just have to click in the left analog stick, and the Autobot or Decepticon that they're controlling switches form. It works in midjump or amid firefight. There are even missions that require this robot jujutsu, juggling forms while attacking.

In its third stab at the franchise, "Transformers: Fall of Cybertron," the developer applies lessons of its past and produces an epic tale that overshadows anything Bay can dream up. This is the "Transformers" story that fans have wanted, but it takes time to unfold.

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The game starts agonizingly slow and disjointed as Megatron and his minions attack the Autobots' Ark spaceship. Their homeworld of Cybertron is dying after years of civil war between the two factions. Both sides are hurtling toward a worm hole and are trying to get to Earth for their own reasons.

That motive becomes clear as the game takes you to the beginning of the end -- a few days before that apocalyptic battle in space. "Fall of Cybertron" tells the story of how that all happened, starting with Optimus Prime defending the Ark from a Decepticon assault, to Grimlock's investigation of a strange power source, to the sacrifice on one side and the betrayal on another.

To get to the meat of the story, players have to deal with the boring first chapters. Despite the war's scale, "Fall of Cybertron" comes off initially as pedestrian, aping moments that fans have already played in "Gears of War."

The level design and intensity don't pick up until players take on the role of Jazz and Cliffjumper. That's when players will realize that "Fall of Cybertron" offers more. Both Autobots have their own talents, and some good level design takes advantage of that. There are sections where Cliffjumper has to go into stealth and sneak up on foes. Meanwhile, Jazz's grappling hook comes into play beautifully when flanking opponents in large environments.

"Fall of Cybertron" takes an abrupt turn when it puts players on the rival side. Players take on the roles of Decepticons such as Vortex, Swindle and Starscream. On these levels, High Moon Studios highlights the transforming abilities. Players will have to constantly switch between vehicle and robot modes while battling armies of Autobots in serviceable scenarios.

The Dinobots plotline is the most intriguing. It deviates from the cartoon narrative, but it's acceptable because of the drama that's built up. The developer manages to get fans to care about that team of robots more than other Transformers. This all leads to the aforementioned confrontation.

The campaign crescendos to this moment, and it doesn't disappoint as players switch back and forth, seeing the last stand from Autobot and Decepticon perspectives. It also comes across as a love letter to the series. High Moon Studios has been working on these games for years now; throughout the process, the team has stayed true to the franchise's roots.

In the finale, that devotion becomes clear as players take on the roles of Transformers from both sides. For fans, it's a treat and shows that the developer cares for the property. It's as though the team made a checklist of characters players always wanted to play and gave them control of each one. And that makes "Transformers: Fall of Cybertron" -- despite its sizable faults -- the best game starring robots in disguise.